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Quintana Roo

geography Maturity 5-7 Next article →

Quintana Roo is a state located in Mexico. It sits on the eastern side of the Yucatán Peninsula.

Quintana Roo in Mexico (location map scheme)
Quintana Roo in Mexico (location map scheme)

To the east, the state meets the Caribbean Sea. To the north, it touches the Gulf of Mexico.

Cancun aerial photo by safa
Cancun aerial photo by safa

It shares borders with the Mexican states of Campeche and Yucatán. It also borders the districts of Orange Walk and Corozal in Belize.

Quintana Roo and its neighbors, with the 2018 Campeche border
Quintana Roo and its neighbors, with the 2018 Campeche border

The capital city of this state is named Chetumal.

The land has many different types of nature. You can find tropical forests, savannas, mangrove forests, and coral reefs.

IslaContoy-PeterMaas
IslaContoy-PeterMaas

The coastline is a wonderful home for manatees and queen conchs. Many different kinds of birds live here too. Some birds stay all year, while others stop by on long trips to South America. The weather is mostly tropical and warm. It stays hot most of the year, but June to October are the wettest months.

Cozumel Punta Sur View-27527
Cozumel Punta Sur View-27527

Sometimes, strong hurricanes hit the coast, like Hurricane Dean in 2007.

History in this area goes back a very long time. Archaeologists found ancient human remains in underwater caves near Tulum. One skeleton found in 2016 belonged to a woman who lived 9,900 years ago.

Templo del dios viento
Templo del dios viento

The Maya people also left behind many amazing stone ruins. You can visit sites like Cobá, Tulum, and Chacchoben to see them. Long ago, the area was part of Yucatán. A group called the Maya nation of Chan Santa Cruz lived here. They were quite independent for many years.

Quintana Roo became its own territory in 1902. It was named after a patriot named Andrés Quintana Roo. Later, it was given statehood on October 8, 1974.

Cancun Strand Luftbild (22179809191)
Cancun Strand Luftbild (22179809191)

Today, the state is divided into 11 different municipalities. One famous place is the city of Cancún. Many people move to the state to work in hotels. This has helped the state grow very quickly. The population is expanding because of all this new building.

Many people visit Quintana Roo to see the beautiful beaches. The northern part is very popular with tourists. The south is different and focuses on forestry.

Cancun aerial photo by safa
Cancun aerial photo by safa

People also come to see the Sian Ka'an biosphere reserve. In the cities, you can find sports like soccer and baseball. The Atlante F.C. soccer club once played here.

Estadiopotros
Estadiopotros

The Quintana Roo Tigers are a professional baseball team. There are also many universities for students to attend. This makes the state a busy and lively place to be.

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🖼️ Images & Media (9)
File:Quintana Roo in Mexico (location map scheme).svg
Quintana Roo in Mexico (location map scheme).svg
File:Quintana Roo and its neighbors, with the 2018 Campeche border.svg
Quintana Roo and its neighbors, with the...
File:Morena logo (Mexico).svg
Morena logo (Mexico).svg
File:Templo del dios viento.jpg
Templo del dios viento.jpg
File:Cancun Strand Luftbild (22179809191).jpg
Cancun Strand Luftbild (22179809191).jpg
File:Cancun aerial photo by safa.jpg
Cancun aerial photo by safa.jpg
File:IslaContoy-PeterMaas.JPG
IslaContoy-PeterMaas.JPG
File:Cozumel Punta Sur View-27527.jpg
Cozumel Punta Sur View-27527.jpg
File:Estadiopotros.JPG
Estadiopotros.JPG
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